President Kay Norton responds to DACA announcement

President Norton announced last week that she would step down from her position

In an email to the student body on Tuesday, President Kay Norton issued a statement expressing her “profound disappointment at the administration’s decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.”

This email comes as a response to actions taken by the Trump administration, which said on Tuesday they will allow DACA to expire. Trump is giving Congress a six month window to replace the Obama-era executive order with legislation dealing with those brought to this country when they were children.

In the email, Norton declared that she will be urging the Colorado delegation to support immigration reform legislation, and that the university will continue to support the DACA program. Norton reiterated the university’s position on defending and supporting its student body, stating that UNC will comply with all Family Educational Rights Privacy Act regulations (FERPA), which help safeguard student’s personal information.

In November of 2016, Norton signed an accord with other university presidents urging Trump to maintain DACA.

“Please know that the decision on DACA does not change our commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive community that supports all students who have come to UNC to pursue the American dream,” she concluded.